Editor’s note: Because of the stigma surrounding Wicca, sources are identified by their first names only.

 Not many people are told they are going to hell on a regular basis, but Sabrae, an Athens resident, has heard it plenty of times over the 20 years she’s practiced Wicca. However, she said she has seen a change in the general reaction to her beliefs.     

Although largely misunderstood by many, Wicca is the fastest growing religion in the country, according to the 2001 American Religion Identification Survey. The study found that Wicca’s number of adherents is doubling about every 30 months, from 8,000 in 1990 to 134,000 in 2001.

Although it draws influence from much older traditions, Wicca is a relatively young practice, said Sabrae. Most of the groundwork for the religion was laid in 1940s England by Gerald Gardner, who studied the occult, she said.

The religion is earth- and solar-based, and practicing members celebrate the yearly equinoxes and solstices. Wiccans generally worship a god and goddess, and there is a focus on the contrast between the two, she said

Sabrae serves as the High Priestess in the Coven of Celestial Tides, Athens’ local Wiccan coven founded in 1990.
Though the frequency of meetings varies greatly from coven to coven, Celestial Tides meets once a week and members learn stories and spiritual healing practices. When necessary, the coven members perform spells, which are like prayers that include ritual objects like candles, said Sabrae.

The majority of the spells the coven performs are healing based, for both members of the coven and for people who have requested it, said Sabrae.

“Nothing I would call creepy,’” she said

Nature has played an important role since the religion’s creation, but certain terms associated with Wicca could have negative connotations, said Jessie, an Ohio University junior who has been interested in Wicca since she was about 18.

“For the most part, when people hear the words ‘witch’ or ‘witchcraft’ they think of people … sacrificing animals and playing weird, spooky music and wearing long black robes or whatever,” she said. “It just doesn’t give people a very safe feeling.”

While Jessie feels she can talk about her religious interests most of the time, she has chosen to hide them from her employer because she fears her ideology will not be accepted.

Many of the misconceptions about Wicca have been caused by Hollywood’s misrepresentation of the practice, said Sabrae.

“I find that the biggest challenge is overcoming Hollywood stereotypes ... some folks saw The Craft or Charmed or Buffy or whatever and they’re drawn to it because of what Hollywood shows them ... but those aren’t reality based,” she said.

Instead, Wicca requires heartfelt dedication and is a fairly difficult commitment, she said.

The Coven of Celestial Tides is an initiatory group that is very selective and demands a serious time commitment from its members, according to its Web site, www.celestialtides.com.

“It’s really just a deeply spiritual practice ... and it’s very personal. It’s not about being able to snap your fingers and have your eyes change colors,” she said.

Another popular misconception is that Wiccans worship or believe in Satan, Sabrae said.

“Some folks choose not to, or just don’t understand that we are not about the whole Satan thing,” said Sabrae, adding that an evil entity does not exist in the Wiccan religion and adherents are personally responsible to behave morally.

Sabrae said she thinks this belief could be one of the reasons that Paganism in general has been on the rise in Athens County for some time now, she said, adding that anyone could be Pagan or Wiccan.

“You don’t know what witches or Pagans you might know, because, at least in Athens county, Pagans are of all walks of life and of all levels of professionalism. You never know if your professor, the person sitting next to you in class, the person serving you in the dining hall or checking you out at the store is a pagan.”